u of u - mosquito borne illnesses to watch out for as you travel the world
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Mosquito-Borne Illnessesto Watch Out for as You Travel the World
Watch Out for as You Travel the WorldAre you planning a vacation this summer? Maybe an exotic African safari or an exciting zipline trip through the jungles of South America. Maybe you’re going to stick a little closer to home and take a trip to the Florida Everglades. Traveling is exciting, but you need to keep yourself healthy to fully enjoy your vacation. Here are some mosquito-borne diseases to look out for as you take your vacation this summer.
Zika virus seems to be in the news nearly every day. The Zika Virus is a mosquito-borne illness found mostly in Central and South America that has recently become a serious concern for medical professional…
Zika Virus
Nearly 80% of infected individuals experience no symptoms at all! However, when symptoms do occur, they are usually mild and include: fever, rash, muscle aches, and red eyes. Zika is most dangerous for pregnant women or women who may become pregnant because of the proven links to birth defects, specifically microcephaly (a condition where babies’ heads are much smaller than expected, leading to developmental delays, learning disabilities, and problems with feeding and movement) and Guillian-Barre (which can damage the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and occasionally paralysis).
There are currently no prescribed medical treatment options or vaccines for Zika virus. If an individual is exhibiting symptoms of Zika they should get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take acetaminophen to relieve any pain or fever.
Zika Virus
MalariaMalaria is one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. Over 3.2 billion people are at risk of malaria infection or transmission, and in 2015 there were an estimated 438,000 deaths caused by malaria.
Malaria is most commonly found in North and South America, Northern Europe, Africa, Asia, and in islands throughout the South Pacific.
Malaria Symptoms Symptoms of include: flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, head and muscle aches, and tiredness), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia and jaundice. If left untreated, symptoms can progress and the infection may cause kidney failure, seizures, coma, and eventually death. Since malaria can be treated and cured if caught early, you should contact your doctor for a blood test as soon as you suspect you may have malaria.
Malaria can be treated and cured with antimalarial drugs that can be prescribed by your doctor, but only if the infection is caught early enough.
Dengue FeverDengue Fever is another mosquito-borne illness found mostly in Central and South America, Africa, India, and the South Pacific Islands.
Dengue Symptoms Symptoms include: high fever, severe headache and pain behind the eyes, joint, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding and bruising. If left untreated, dengue fever may develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). After the fever breaks, symptoms of DHF include: vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing. If the infection continues untreated, it can cause circulatory system failure, shock, and death.
While there is no specific medication for dengue, infected individuals should get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, take acetaminophen for pain relief and contact a doctor. If symptoms persist, worsen, or develop into abdominal pain and vomiting, you should go to a hospital immediately.
West Nile Virus is a mosquito and avian borne illness. West Nile Virus is particularly prominent in the United States, but can also be found in some countries in Africa, Europe, West Asia, The Middle East.
West Nile Virus
Only 1 in 5 people infected with the virus exhibit symptoms. When symptoms are present they are fairly mild and can include: fever, head and body aches, vomiting, rash, and diarrhea. In some rare cases (less than 1% of infected individuals), serious neurological illnesses like illnesses like meningitis or encephalitis, swelling of the brain and its surrounding tissues, can develop. There is no medication or treatment for West Nile Virus, but it can be treated with pain relievers and lots of rest. If more serious symptoms develop, go to a hospital immediately.
West Nile Virus, cont.
Chikungunya is a mosquito borne illness that is found most commonly in Africa, Asia, Europe, India and Eastern Asia. Recently, however, there have been cases of chikungunya in North and South America.
ChikungunyaFever
Symptoms of chikungunya generally begin 3-7 days after infection and include: fever, joint and muscle pain, headache, or a rash. While chikungunya doesn’t often cause death, the symptoms can be extremely painful to the point of being debilitating. Most symptoms resolve themselves in about a week, but in some cases joint pain may continue for several months.
There are specific medications or treatments for Chikungunya. Those infected should get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take acetaminophen to reduce pain and fever.
Chikungunya Fever, cont.
Yellow Fever is another mosquito-borne illness found primarily in Africa and South America. While it is unlikely that US residents will contract yellow fever while traveling, they should still be aware of the symptoms and treatments available.
YellowFever
Symptoms of yellow fever develop 3-6 days after the initial infection and include: fever, chills, back and body aches, severe headache, nausea, and general weakness. Some cases may develop into yellow fever disease with symptoms of high fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), internal bleeding and organ failure.
While there are no specific medications to treat yellow fever, those infected should be hospitalized for treatment (lots of rest, plenty of fluids, and pain relievers) so that a health care professional can be close at hand in case symptoms worsen.
Yellow Fever, cont.
The best way to avoid getting these mosquito-borne illnesses is to avoid mosquito bites. You can protect yourself from mosquitoes by:
Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Staying in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home. Avoiding standing water and stay inside during peak biting times (dawn and dusk.)
Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol.
Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items.
Take an antimalarial drugs before traveling out of the country to prevent malaria infection.
Get a yellow fever vaccine if you are traveling to areas where you may be infected.
How You Can PreventMosquito Borne Illness
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/faqs.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/dengue/fAQFacts/index.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/genquestions.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/symptoms/index.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/microcephaly.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/zika/
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